In terms of legal and illegal civilian weapons, Thailand ranks 13th in the world, ahead of countries like Egypt, the Philippines and Iran. Police said Panya was forcibly released in June for drug abuse and was due to be convicted of illegal drug possession by the court the following day. Authorities have not revealed the motive for the attack, but the tragedy has highlighted the widespread prevalence of guns and gun violence in Thailand. “There is a growing trend of gun violence, but policies to control legal and illegal access to firearms are not concretely formalized,” said Krisanaphong Poothakool, a professor at Rangsit University near Bangkok who served in the Royal Thai Police for more than two decades. Police said the weapon Panya used in last week`s attack was purchased under the discount program and legally held, even months after he was fired for drug addiction. The answer, it seems, is not particularly high. Of Thailand`s more than 10 million weapons, only about 6 million are legally registered. Anyone caught in possession of any of the approximately 4 million unregistered firearms in the country faces up to 10 years in prison, as well as fines of up to 20,000 Thai bhat ($535). But many people still do, thanks in large part to the burgeoning black market, which makes buying and selling illegal guns relatively easy online. Thai police recently arrested more than a dozen people, including a government official suspected of involvement in an arms trafficking gang that allegedly sold guns and ammunition from a government program that allows officials to buy subsidized weapons. In a June editorial, the Bangkok Post argued that “the case reflects Thailand`s flawed gun control policies,” adding that to rein in gun violence, easily abused systems such as the social weapons program “must disappear.” – Gun laws are quite strict in Thailand. Illegal possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($536), but gun ownership is high compared to other Southeast Asian countries. Illegal weapons, many of which were imported from trouble-torn countries, are widespread, but mass shootings remain rare.

The total number of weapons legally and illegally held by civilians in Thailand was estimated at 10.3 million in 2017, or one for every about seven citizens. Of these, about 4 million were illegal. These potential buyers must also undergo a background check and provide a reason for ownership, such as hunting or self-defense. Illegal possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 20,000 baht (about $535). For most people, Thai gun laws are already strict. Assault weapons are prohibited; There are restrictions on the amount of weapons and ammunition that can be sold or possessed; And civilians must pay a 40% import tax to legally purchase a firearm. In response to the massacre, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha chaired a special meeting of senior officials on Wednesday to find ways to curb legal gun ownership and curb a thriving black market. Thais often complain online about a perceived decrease in personal safety, claiming that guns are idolized by some as symbols of power and privilege because they are expensive and not legally easy to obtain. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha this week ordered authorities to revoke the firearms permits of individuals who behaved in a way that “threatens society” or “creates chaos or unrest,” government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said in a statement. The prime minister also ordered a crackdown on the sale and possession of illegal weapons and called on officials to step up drug testing among government officials. When it comes to gun control in Thailand, these subsidized guns represent “a huge loophole,” says Michael Picard, an independent researcher who focuses on the intersection of arms trafficking, corruption and conflict and conducted fieldwork in Thailand in 2019.

Picard adds that Thai police often use these subsidized weapons in service rather than those issued by the government. In fact, the perpetrator of the 2020 mall shooting owned five legally registered firearms, all acquired through the welfare gun program. (At the time of writing, it`s unclear whether the attacker acquired his weapon through the program during today`s shooting, although it was purchased legally.) The apparent enthusiasm for guns among many Thais can be explained, at least in part, by the country`s militarized culture, where the military and law enforcement are celebrated by the country`s conservative establishment. Picard says the cost and relative difficulty of getting a gun legally has also made it something of a status symbol in Thailand, representing power, wealth and privilege. Corrupt officials are suspected of contributing to the proliferation of illegal weapons. Earlier this year, a senior local official was arrested on suspicion of trafficking hundreds of firearms and thousands of cartridges, Thai media reported. Filming on the 6th. October is the second high-profile massacre by someone with ties to security forces since early 2020, when a soldier fired at a Buddhist temple, shopping mall and other public spaces, killing dozens. But Thai civilians still possess about 10.3 million legal and illegal weapons, most Southeast Asian countries, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey, and gun control efforts have been strained by significant smuggling. Weapons have reportedly crossed the Thai border as a backlash of Myanmar`s civil war, and Bangkok has been battling an armed insurgency in the south of the country for decades. Government officials who can purchase firearms at a discount also have a relatively easy way to obtain firearms.

Tanakornsombut, Tassanee, Chutimas Suksai, Chayanit Poonyarat and Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan.2005. Gun Violence: The Role of Legally Registered Firearms.” Missing the Target: Firearm Policy and Practice in Thai Society.Bangkok: Reduction of Armed Violence Project, Nonviolence International, 1 January. (Q1245) About one in ten people in Thailand legally own a gun. There are more than six million weapons registered in a country of 66.7 million people. [1] Small Arms Survey estimates that the total number of legal and illegal weapons held by Thai civilians in 2017 is 10,300,000,[2] equivalent to 15.1 firearms per 100 inhabitants. The comparable figures for the other ASEAN countries are as follows: Cambodia, 4.5 per 100 inhabitants; Philippines, 3.6; Laos, 3.0; Myanmar, 1.6; Vietnam, 1.6; Brunei Darussalam Darussalad, 1.4; Malaysia, 0.7; Singapore: 0.3; and Indonesia, zero. [3] The gunman, Panya Kamrab, 34, used a 9-millimeter pistol he had obtained legally, police said. He also owned a shotgun.

And before he was fired from the police department in June for drug possession, both would have been easy for him to buy. Thai security forces can buy as many weapons as they want through the government, and at a significant discount. According to the Swiss-based research group Small Arms Project, Thailand is not among the top 25 countries in terms of legal firearms per capita. Parker, Sarah and Katherine Green.2012. » What do PoAIM scores mean? How to interpret PoAIM scores? The Programme of Action Implementation Monitor (Phase 1): Assessing Reported Progress.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, 1 August. (Q8753) “It took me a while to get my approval – and I bought mine as an MP,” Rome said. Others, he added, “pay under the table to make things easier.” “I think we should have had the psychological assessment and the personal assessment long before that,” he told VOA. “It can`t solve all the problems, but at least it`s a source of prevention [of gun violence]. But Thailand has a thriving market for grey and black weapons. “In addition, they can blackmail black market buyers by threatening arrest or disclosure to profit from further bribes,” he added.

“When I was following black market vendors on social media sites, I once saw a seller doxer several of his buyers by posting screenshots of their personal information from a government database.” WHO.2018. Estimates of violent deaths by country. Disease Burden and Mortality Estimates: Causes-Specific Mortality, 2000–2016.Geneva: World Health Organization, 1 January. (Q14136) Just 10 days after the mass shooting, a man killed his ex-wife and wounded another person at a shopping mall in Bangkok. Cattaneo, Silvia and Sarah Parker.2008. Reports, NPCs and NCAs, 2002 to 2008. Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Analysis of State Country Reports from 2002 to 2008.Geneva: United Nations Development Programme, 1 November. (20. Full citation UNGA.2001. » Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. New York, NY:United Nations General Assembly, 20 July.